Filter guard for sink drain pop-up plunger

ABSTRACT

A filter guard for a pop-up plunger for the drain of a sink or the like which comprises a thin sheet of springy metal having an array of openings therethrough. The sheet is rolled into a cylindrical shape and fitted over the radially extending vanes of a conventional pop-up plunger. The springiness of the sheet causes it to grip the plunger vanes and keep it in place. The openings in the filter guard allow liquid waste to exit the sink but block the passage of discrete articles, such as rings or contact lenses, which may inadvertently fall into the sink.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] The present application claims the benefit of Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/479,922, filed Jun. 19, 2003, and entitled “FILTER GUARD FOR SINK DRAIN POP-UP PLUNGER”. The contents of that application are hereby incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] This invention relates to pop-up plungers for waste drain pipes and, more particularly, to a filter guard for such a plunger to prevent large objects from entering the drain pipe while allowing water and waste material to enter the drain pipe.

[0003] Pop-up plungers, in general, are well known for use in selectively closing a waste drain pipe, e.g., in a bathroom lavatory, tub or sink. A conventional pop-up plunger includes a generally circular head portion having a diameter slightly larger than that of the drain pipe and includes a sealing element, e.g., an O-ring, mounted on its undersurface to engage the annular seat at the upper end of the drain pipe. Depending downwardly from the head portion, the plunger is usually formed with a stem having a plurality of equiangularly spaced vanes which project radially outwardly from a central portion of the stem into close proximity with the interior wall of the drain pipe in order to guide the plunger as it moves up and down within the drain pipe. Typically, there are four such vanes which provide relatively large drain passages between adjacent vanes. As a result, when the plunger is in the up, or open, position, in addition to passing water and other waste material, it also passes small objects, such as contact lenses or small pieces of jewelry, which are accidentally dropped into the lavatory, much to the distress of the owner of the object. Once such objects, especially contact lenses, have passed into the waste drain pipe, recovery is extremely doubtful and can be difficult and expensive. While the loss of such objects can be avoided by simply placing the plunger in the down, or closed, position to seal off the drain, such action is rarely contemplated prior to the loss of such an object down the drain.

[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 4,380,834 to Wentz contemplates preventing the loss of discrete objects down the drain by providing a pop-up plunger with an apertured cylindrical sleeve member surrounding the vanes immediately below the head portion of the plunger. The sleeve member is captured between the head portion and shoulders formed on the distal edges of the vanes. While effective, the Wentz device requires a specially designed plunger and is not retrofittable onto existing pop-up plungers.

[0005] It would therefore be desirable to have a filter guard which can be installed on a conventional sink drain pop-up plunger.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] According to the present invention, there is provided a filter guard for a conventional vaned pop-up plunger which comprises an apertured sheet formed into a cylindrical shape, with overlapped ends, of diameter less than the outer diameter of the vaned stem of the plunger.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007]FIG. 1 is a front elevational view, partially in section, of a lavatory waste drain system including an embodiment of the present invention;

[0008]FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the plunger shown in FIG. 1 with the filter guard according to this invention installed thereon, and wherein the filter guard is only partially shown; and

[0009]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a filter guard constructed according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0010] Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a portion of a waste drain system, indicated generally by the reference numeral 10, of the type commonly installed in a typical bathroom lavatory, tub or sink (not shown), and which includes an embodiment of the present invention. The waste drain system 10 includes a generally cylindrical waste drain pipe 12. One end of the waste drain pipe 12 is conventionally connected as a drain through a suitable trap and additional piping (both not shown) to a waste disposal system, e.g., a septic or sewer system. The other end of the waste drain pipe 12 is adapted for installation within a suitable opening in a lavatory (not shown) and includes a generally enlarged diameter flange which establishes an annular seat 14. The waste drain pipe 12 further includes a suitable closure actuator, e.g., a lever-type actuator 16 pivoted within suitable bushings 17 within the waste drain pipe 12, for selectively opening and closing the waste drain pipe 12 in a manner hereinafter to be described.

[0011] In order to provide for controlling the lavatory end of the waste drain pipe 12, e.g., to close the drain in order to retain water in the lavatory for washing, a pop-up plunger 18 is installed therein as shown. The plunger 18 includes a generally circular head portion 20 having a diameter slightly larger than that of the waste drain pipe 12. The head portion 20 includes a sealing element, e.g., an O-ring 22, mounted on its undersurface to engage the annular seat 14 of the drain pipe 12 and operate as a valve element, providing a watertight seal. In FIG. 1, the plunger 18 is in the “up” or open position. By pivoting the actuator 16 upwardly, or counterclockwise, in the bushing 17, the plunger 18 moves axially downwardly into the waste drain pipe 12 until the sealing element 22 engages the waste drain pipe annular seat 14 to provide a positive drain pipe seal. To open the drain pipe, downward, or clockwise, pivotal movement of the actuator 16 raises the plunger 18 to the position shown in FIG. 1, thereby disengaging the sealing element 22 from the waste drain pipe annular seat 14.

[0012] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the plunger 18 has a support portion, or stem, 24 which extends, as shown, from the underside of the head portion 20 and into the waste drain pipe 12. The lower end of the stem 24 includes a suitable connecting element having, for example, an eye 26 for connecting the plunger 18 with the actuator 16, as shown. As is apparent from FIG. 1, pivotal movement of the actuator 16 results in axial movement of the plunger 18 within the waste drain pipe 12.

[0013] The plunger stem 24 also includes guide elements, e.g., four vanes, or fins, 28, which may be tapered and project radially outwardly from a central portion of the stem 24 into close proximity with the interior wall of the waste drain pipe 12 for the purpose of guiding the plunger 18 as it is displaced axially with respect to the waste drain pipe 12. The four vanes 28 are separated radially from one another to provide four separate drain passages within the waste drain pipe 12 past the plunger 18. The four vanes 28 are typically equiangularly spaced from each other. Each of the drain passages affords fluid communication from the annular seat 14 past the plunger 18 and the waste drain pipe 12 to the above-described waste disposal system. To the extent described above, the plunger construction is substantially in accordance with a conventional pop-up plunger.

[0014] In accordance with the present invention, a filter guard 32 is provided to prevent passage of discrete objects through the drain passages between the vanes 28 and into the waste disposal system. As shown in FIG. 3, the inventive filter guard 32 is formed from a sheet of material, preferably stainless steel, which is provided with a plurality of openings 34. Preferably, the openings 34 are circular and are arrayed in a regular pattern, although other shapes of openings can be utilized with other spacing. The openings 34 in the filter guard 32 are large enough so that when the plunger 18 is in the “up” position, a continuous flow of waste liquid may flow therethrough to the drain passages between the vanes 28. However, the openings 34 are small enough to effectively prevent the entry of any discrete objects, e.g., a contact lens or a small piece of jewelry, into a drain passage. It will be appreciated that the pattern, number, size and/or the shape of the openings 34 may be varied to accommodate the flow desired and the size of the object which is to be excluded. Illustratively, each of the openings 34 is circular with a diameter of approximately 0.10 inches.

[0015] The filter guard 32 is formed from metal sheet stock which is cut into a flat substantially rectangular piece, illustratively 4.0 inches by 1.125 inches, and formed with the openings 34. The rectangular piece is then formed, as by rolling for example, into a cylindrical shape with its ends 36,38 overlapping, as shown in FIG. 3. The unstressed diameter of the rolled cylindrical filter guard 32 is less than the distance between the distal edges 30 of diametrically opposed vanes 28 of the plunger 18. (In the case where there is an odd number of vanes 28, the unstressed diameter of the filter guard 32 would be less than the diameter of an imaginary cylinder surrounding and contacting the vanes 28.) Accordingly, when the filter guard 32 is installed on the plunger 18, its diameter is expanded so that it slips over the distal edges 30 of the vanes 28. The material of the filter guard 32 has “memory”, i.e., is springy, so that it tries to contract. In this way, it grips the distal edges 30 of the vanes 28, and friction between the filter guard 32 and the vanes 28 maintains the filter guard 32 in place.

[0016] The thickness of the filter guard 32 is important for the proper functioning of the invention. If the filter guard 32 is too thick, the plunger 18 with the filter guard 32 attached fits too tightly within the waste drain pipe 12 and the plunger 18 does not move freely to properly open and close the waste drain pipe 12. Normally, the plunger 18 moves “sloppily” within the drain pipe 12. It has been found that a filter guard 32 made of stainless steel of thickness 0.005 inches performs satisfactorily on a conventional pop-up plunger installed in a conventional drain pipe.

[0017] The filter guard 32 cooperates with the head portion 20, the seat 14, and the drain pipe 12 adjacent the seat 14 to provide an effective barrier against the passage of discrete objects which have a size greater than the size of the openings 34 in the filter guard 32. After normal use of the drain, it is a simple procedure to wipe around the filter guard 32 and thereby remove any objects or any debris such as hair, dirt particles and the like which are prevented from being discharged with the waste liquid through the drain. In the event that a more thorough cleaning of the filter guard 32 is required, e.g., when hair or other debris entwines itself in the openings 34 and resists normal removal, it is a simple matter to remove the plunger 18 from the drain pipe 12 and slide the filter guard 32 over the eye 26 end of the plunger 18. After the filter guard 32 is cleaned, it is slid back onto the plunger 18 and the plunger 18 is then reinstalled in the drain pipe 12.

[0018] As described, the present invention provides a simple retrofittable solution to the problem of preventing discrete objects from inadvertently passing down the drain pipe of a bathtub or sink. The disclosed filter guard can be sold either as a separate item which a customer can install on an existing conventional pop-up plunger, or as part of a pop-up plunger set provided by a manufacturer. While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed, it will be apparent to one of skill in the art that various modifications and adaptations to the disclosed embodiment are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. It is therefore intended that this invention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A filter guard for use with a waste drain pipe pop-up plunger having a head portion and a stem portion, wherein the stem portion includes a plurality of vanes extending radially outwardly from a central portion of the stem portion, the filter guard comprising: a piece of sheet material provided with a plurality of openings therethrough, wherein the piece of sheet material is formed into a cylindrical shape with overlapping ends, the cylindrical shape having a diameter less than the diameter of an imaginary cylinder surrounding and contacting the vanes of the stem portion of the plunger.
 2. The filter guard according to claim 1 wherein the sheet material is metal.
 3. The filter guard according to claim 2 wherein the metal is stainless steel.
 4. The filter guard according to claim 1 wherein the piece of sheet material is substantially rectangular.
 5. The filter guard according to claim 4 wherein the piece of sheet material is approximately 4.0 inches by approximately 1.125 inches.
 6. The filter guard according to claim 1 wherein the piece of sheet material has a thickness of approximately 0.005 inches.
 7. The filter guard according to claim 1 wherein each of the openings is circular.
 8. The filter guard according to claim 7 wherein each of the openings has a diameter of approximately 0.10 inches.
 9. In combination: a pop-up plunger for a sink or the like having a head portion and a stem portion with a plurality of vanes extending radially outward from a central portion of the stem portion; and a filter guard surrounding the plunger stem portion, wherein the filter guard comprises a piece of sheet material provided with a plurality of openings therethrough, and wherein the piece of sheet material is formed into a cylindrical shape with overlapping ends, the cylindrical shape having a diameter less than the diameter of an imaginary cylinder surrounding and contacting the vanes of the stem portion of the plunger.
 10. The combination according to claim 9 wherein the sheet material is metal.
 11. The combination according to claim 10 wherein the metal is stainless steel.
 12. The combination according to claim 11 wherein the piece of sheet material is substantially rectangular.
 13. The combination according to claim 12 wherein the piece of sheet material is approximately 4.0 inches by approximately 1.125 inches.
 14. The combination according to claim 9 wherein the piece of sheet material has a thickness of approximately 0.005 inches.
 15. The combination according to claim 9 wherein each of the openings is circular.
 16. The combination according to claim 15 wherein each of the openings has a diameter of approximately 0.10 inches. 